Superhero
by solartai
Summary: Bad end 30. The war must be stopped at any cost.
1. Chapter 1

"- You will win. Since you have cast away Matou Sakura, you will use any means possible to kill Matou Zouken, Ilyasviel, and Rin. I am saying I am looking forward to to how this will end." The Fake Priest said.

But...

"...Why? I won't fight Tohsaka. There's no reason for me to stop her, even if she's going to obtain the Holy Grail." I defended.

"You will fight her. You will be forced to fight when you find out about the true identity of the holy grail. Having killed Sakura, Rin will go mad unless she obtains the holy Grail." The Fake priest was saying it a though it was fact. He already knew. "She will try to win for her belief, and you will destroy the grail for you ideal."

"You two are incompatible for each other now. You will act out the final stages of the war."

That gave me pause and the priest turns to leave the chapel. '

"Are you saying I will remain to the very end?" I wanted to know if he though such a thing was really within my ability.

The older man turned to him, amusement on his face. "Of course, you are Emiya Kiritsugu now. There is no way you cannot win."

And the priest left.

"_" I can tell the priest's words are the truth. I will defeat Zouken, Illya, and Tohsaka.

That is the end of this war.

That is why I became a superhero.

There is no need to discuss the outcome.

My mind is steel.

* * *

I left the church.

"Emiya Shirou..."

"Archer..." The red clad servant had confronted me on my way home. I gazed around trying to spot Tohsaka. "You know I am no longer a master, so why are you here?"

"The decision to end the life of Matou Sakura was surprising. I was sure you were going to object to the idea." Archer said.

"Maybe you don't know me as well as you think, Archer." Maybe Tohsaka was hidden in the surrounding trees?

"Hmm, It seems so. Your actions are certainly unexpected. One might say something is wrong with you." The servant seemed slightly amused.

"What's your point? Are you saying I made the wrong decision?"

"Not at all, Emiya Shirou took the path that would result in the most lives saved. That is all, maybe there is hope for you yet." Archer said. "You have made your mind up and now you are destined to become a hero. Even if your ideals are borrowed, I am still impressed."

"Yah, well I'm not really in the mood for philosophy at the moment. So if that's it..." I made to leave.

"Oh? I would have thought receiving praise from a hero that is your ideal would interest you more than this? Do you not want advice from a servant in this war?" What was he getting at?

I paused.

"You know me and Tohsaka are no longer working together so why would you give an enemy advice on how to defeat your master? It seems counter productive." I questioned his motives.

"If I thought you were a threat to Rin I wouldn't have approached you. You're not. However, you are still useful to my master. It would be best if we stay on amiable terms."

"I don't understand, what are you trying to say?" I searched for a hold on the conversation.

"Our powers are similar, Emiya Shirou. We get our strengths from the things we create. Didn't Rin tell you something similar?"

She had...

"_Your power is one that creates, Emiya-kun."_

"What does that have to do with you though? Even if our powers are similar, I'm not the same as you. I can't fight a servant head on." 

"Then what was your plan to destroy the grail? If you truly think you have no power, then why are you even bothering?"

"I'll find a way to destroy the grail, like my father did. I may not be a very good magus, but at least I can do this." I had some ideas...

It was as if Archer read my mind. "You are mistaken. If you are planning to use normal means to destroy the grail, then it would be best if you give up now. You cannot destroy the grail like that."

"Then my choice is to give up and let Zouken do as he pleases with the grail? I don't think I can just stand by and watch that happen."

"First of all, I am not telling you to give up. I am telling you that you have not discovered your potential yet." Archer was really being serious. "There is more to Emiya Shirou than just his ideals."

"How would you even know that?" I didn't understand him at all. "I'm a third rate magus, Rin even said so."

"It's true that your potential as a magus is very limited, but mere projection and strengthening is not all you can do. As you get closer to understanding your power the more likely your goals will be accomplished. I can help you with that." This was too suspicious. There had to be a catch.

"And what do you plan on getting out of this? Besides that, why would you even want me to destroy the grail? Don't you have a wish yourself?" 

"The grail can't grant my wish as it has already been granted. The grail is useless to me."

"Then why were you summoned? If you have no wish then why would the you participate in a war that doesn't concern you?"

"You are acting as if I had a choice in the matter. The masters did not ask us if we could be summoned. The grail did that on its own. Wish or not, we are in the control of the ones who we were called to." Still...

"You would be betraying Tohsaka., surely she wouldn't want you to plot the destruction of the grail with an enemy. You may not have a wish, but she does. Are you really okay with taking that chance away from her?"

"Ah, the grail cannot grant Rin's wish anyway. It never worked like that to begin with. It just doesn't have the proper power for that. The grail is a shortcut to destruction, not enlightenment. All it can do is take things away, but then you already know that."

I knew too well.

"Then why haven't you told Tohsaka? If that's true then she would cooperate with you." Why would he even come to me with this?

"Its troublesome to explain where I got this knowledge from. Besides, it is better that she has some hope for now. After tonight she may no longer be the same person she was. The act of having taken Sakura Matou's life will no doubt have an effect on her mental well being." I had a feeling that there was something Archer was avoiding.

"I can't allow yo-"

"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh-" The roar echoed to close for comfort.

I locked eyes with Archer.

"Berserker..." Archer began. "I should have sensed this sooner. I didn't even realize he had entered the area."He paused thoughtfully. Illya sure is fearsome." Two beautifully crafted swords appeared in Archers hands. "I think it is best we run for now. As long as Berserker here we cannot come to an agreement. For now I will cover your escape-" Beserker smashed through the treeline. "go, we will meet again, Emiya Shirou."

"But what about-?"

"Raaaaaaaaagh-" The colossal howled, closing the gap between them. Where was Illya?

Archer dashed forward, towards the beast. "Go you fool, I can't hold him for long!" He dodged an over-powered attack from the Berserker. Responding to the attack, archer threw the two blades at the beast.

I didn't really like the idea of Archer saving m, but then again, as long as we could regroup later we still might have a chance. I quickly scan the area for Illya once more. If she wasn't around, then there was no point in staying here anyway.

I quickly vacated the area, leaving Berserker and Archer to their encounter.

* * *

The jog home had been reasonably peaceful all things considered.

As soon as I got home I made my way to the shed. Something archer had said about his powers and how mine are similar had given me an idea for training.

My plan was to create one of the swords I had seen Archer wielding. Rin had said his power was one that creates, after all.

As the door opened my circuit were already flaring with prana and the searing pain was making its way up my spine. In an instant and image of Archers black blade appeared in my mind. A sword shaped mass started to take form with in my hand before the construct burst apart.

Hey tried again.

And again. 

Again, until he was out out prana.

I saw no results from my training that night.

* * *

The next day passed by in a haze. Exhausted from my training, there wasn't much use I could be at the moment.

So I spent the day in and out of consciousness trying to rest for the night ahead.

At first my plan was to patrol the city and hope that something helpful happened. Even though I wasn't a master, I had no doubt that should I come across Illya, Tohsaka, or Zouken that we would have to fight and I would likely be the one to die.

So going out and picking a fight wasn't reallly the best option. Still, I could not let the other masters do as they pleased. Enough lives had been lost already and losing even one more would still be far too much.

I had been naive up to this point. I didn't really understand the weight of situation, which was all the more serious now that Sakura was dead. I had already lost too much and there wasn't much more I was willing to make expendable to this war.

The assistance I had was limited. My own power was no existent. And all I had going for me was the vague promise of Archer's that he would help me out with training.

And this is the crux of one of my biggest problems.

Tohsaka, Kotomine and Archer seem to think I have a talent in me that can be utilized in order to claim victory in this war. At this point the fake priest even thinks I will win the grail without a doubt.

I'm not as confident. At this point the only thing I can think to do is attempt to copy the moves of the servant known as Archer, but the results are not promising. I must be missing something important about Archers ability create those twin blades. Either that, or I simply do not posses such talent. Which seemed likely as of this point.

While I sit here failing, the others are still fighting and more lives will be lost. If I can't fight to save them-If I cant fight for Kiritsugu- Then I do not have a right to exist at all. Is what my inaction going to get someone killed? What purpose can I serve as I am now?

Circuits flared to life. It felt as if my nerves were on fire.

I am a hero and I will fight.

My mind was steel.

The twin swords of Archers flashed into my mind. This time my connection with them was stronger than before. And I was seeing them in my mind as if for the first time.

_My body..._

Their history. Their soul. Their names and the power they held.

_...It was..._

I could see it all.

_...Made of blades._

"Trace on..." I could feel the prana flowing through my circuits. The blades took shape and the pain faded as the projected weapon finally had weight in my hands.

I had done it. Sorta. The created blades were obviously different the ones he remembered so clearly. Even a cursory glance would reveal that the shape and color schemes of both weapons were off, and the weapons ability and rank as a noble phantasm had been drastically reduced.

I threw the black blade, Kanshou.

It spun through the air in a wide curve before hitting the ground and bursting out of existence.

The ability that Shirou had observed within the blades, returning to its partner, was not strong enough in these projected weapons. Indeed, these fakes might as well not exist if it came to their ability to fend off servants. It was a start, nothing more.

I considered the held white blade, Bakuya, before letting it burst out of existence. I wasn't really satisfied with the results, but for the time being it would have to do. Maybe some creative application was called for?

* * *

Most of the night was spent trying to patrol the town while simultaneously avoiding any actual battle. Other master might have other means of collecting information, but I had no such luxuries to rely on. Not being a proper mage had some obvious drawbacks and my ignorance on the functions of magic in general was not helping either. So when it came to being aware of the machinations of the competition, The only thing I could think to do was dress in black and skulk through the shadows of the town like some cheap assassin knock off.

I didn't feel good about the approach. Throughout the night I often wondered- If I was to be seen by a civilians, what would they think of my suspicious behavior and appearance? How many ignorant security guards were watching my shadowy figure skulk through the dark on their screens?

The first few hours were spent combing my way through town, listening for sounds of fighting or traces of lingering magic. I searched the park first. It was still as creepy and foreboding as ever, but nothing else about it suggested any servants or masters were nearby. I wasn't sure what I was expecting to happen, but nothing did.

So I left the park not really having a destination in mind other than from this shadow to the next. Finally I crossed bridge as I made my way back home. A fruitless night despite all efforts, it seemed.

Well at least there were no...

A still form lay on the walkway of the bridge. A lump rose in my throat.

I ran toward the fallen form, fearing the worst.

As I got closer I could tell for sure it was human. When I got even closer I could tell it was a woman. When I got close enough, my heart stopped...

"Fuji-nee...?" I said, disbelievingly.

The still form of my surrogate sister lay before me.

I didn't even need to check for a pulse. Even in the dim lighting I could see the gash in her neck and tell she was not breathing and had been dead far too long for any hope of reviving her.

Grief threatened to overtake me. I don't understand. Why her? She had nothing to do with this. She was not an ally of mine. She did not know about magi. She was innocent.

Who did this?

Who did this?!

Who did this?!

"Onii-chan..." A voice said. I looked up to see Illya frowning at me. She wasn't there before, but that didn't matter.

"Illya, you..." I clenched my fists, drawing blood. "You..." The accusation was obvious.

"You made your decision, Onii-chan. Berserker." The giant materialized in front of her. "Kill him."

* * *

A/N: Well if you like it tell me so. If you hated please, please tell me why so I can understand what the issues are.

If you see any grammar and/or spelling mistakes please inform me.


	2. Chapter 2

"Kill him."

The Berserker let out a loud roar and charged towards me.

"Trace on." I ignored the pain as the two swords began to take weight in my hands.

Faster than I could see the oversized blade was in my face. I blocked instinctively with my twin swords. For a second they held, then they shattered and I was thrown across the bridge from the force of the swing.

I hit the ground hard enough that I could feel ribs cracking in my chest. I stood despite the pain and barely got another set of projected swords up before berserker was on top of me again. The mad beast swung down at me. I couldn't block this one.

I jumped to the side as the large blade tore up the concrete. Without hesitating the giant swung the blade in a horizontal slash. I brought the blades up to block again. This time they held a little longer before bursting apart.

The momentum threw my body backwards and into the railing of the bridge, which bent under the force.

I coughed up blood.

"Goodbye, Onii-chan."

"Ilya, I'll find you..." I tried to threaten. Though in the state I was in it must have not held much weight.

Beserker roared and quickly closed the distance. I did the only thing I could do and flipped over the railing and fell towards the water below. I tried to right myself feet facing down, but I couldn't get the angle right. I quickly took a breathe as I slammed head first into the water.

I surfaced just in time to see Berserker's form as he leapt off the bridge after me.

I paddled desperately to get out the way. Berserker's sword barely missed me as it splashed into the water, creating a wave that dragged me farther away from the giant. Berserker tried to keep afloat, but his dense muscles afforded him no buoyancy. What an interesting observation.

Finally he disappeared in a flash of light, signaling his return to Illya.

I took a quick breather. For the moment Berserker couldn't get to me. But I couldn't stay in the water forever.

* * *

I swam along the edge of the edge the surface until dawn came. I had no doubt that Illya could find me anyway, but even she shouldn't attack me while it was daytime. As soon as I heard sounds of the morning commute I got out of the water, far from the location in which I had entered.

Feeling defeated I made the journey back to my house. Luckily, my injuries had already started to mend, so I was not in much pain.

As I started to get closer to the Emiya residence I started to see more and more activity. When the household came into sight I could see it was in ruins and surrounded by various emergency vehicles like police cars and fire trucks.

My heart was stopping far too much lately. Fuji-Nee was gone, now dads legacy was too.

The emotions running through my heart were unbearable. What was I going to do now? I had made a promise to stop pointless sacrifices and save lives. It wasn't even a day and my conscience was already marred by failure.

I failed Sakura.

I failed Fuji-nee.

Now I failed dad's memory.

I turned and walked in the other direction. I couldn't deal with this right now. I needed to get my shit together. The war had already taken everything from me. I wasn't going to let it do that to this whole town.

* * *

In the end I really had no place to go. I thought about Issei, but then I realized that would mean staying in the place where Saber was defeated. It would be best if I didn't have to deal with those particular memories at the moment.

I stole some dry clothes from the laundromat so I wouldn't be wandering around all wet and dressed like a thief. Just a white long sleeved T-shirt and some jeans, nothing notable. I sincerely hoped my moral compass could forgive me for this, but I found the circumstances were necessary enough to warrant it.

I made my way in the opposite direction of the Eizenbern Castle in hopes that the distance would buy me a little bit of safety for the coming night. I still had my wallet and even though my money was ruined from the water I did have a debit card with enough cash on it to last me a day or two at least.

So I picked a hotel at random and a room at random.

As soon as I got into the room I wanted to pass out on the bed. However, at the moment I couldn't sleep. I still hadn't managed to gather a perspective on the war during night, despite the heavy losses for me. In fact, I was in a way worse position than I was in than the night before and my only family had been killed, in an attempt to break me.

I gave myself time to mourn the loss of Fui-nee. I made a promise that as soon as the war was ended, and providing I lived to see the end, that I would give her memory a proper ceremony as appreciation for all the fond memories I had of her.

After a while I pushed those thoughts of grief and regret away. I tried to focus on the path ahead of me as much as I possibly could. I couldn't save anyone if I was too burdened by my own failings.

I turned on the T.V. for the ambient noise.

"_High schooler Emiya Shirou is still missing in the wake of Fujimaru Taiga's vicious murder and the baffling destruction of his home." _The newscaster said. _"The police are urging anyone with information about the death of Fujimaru and the whereabouts of Emiya to call..."_

I flipped off the television. Maybe T.V. wasn't the best thing at the moment. Of course his predicament would be on the news the moment he decided to turn it on, though. Because that just made sense.

Well, now the police wanted to find me. Which meant that along with the machinations of the other masters, I now had to deal with the interference from the local authorities as well. That meant I couldn't stay in one place too long, lest someone recognized me and turned me over to the police.

That couldn't be allowed to happen. The police would keep me in one location, completely helpless against enemy attacks. It wasn't as if the police could protect me from servants, after all. Also telling them Fuji-nee was killed by a little white haired girl and Hercules probably wouldn't go over very nicely.

I laid down on the bed trying to think of a way in which I could fight back without putting anymore people in danger.

Despite myself, I drifted off to sleep.

It was ten in the evening by the time I awoke. The exhaustion must have been more overwhelming than I had first thought since it had been more than ten hours since I had fallen asleep. I rolled over in bed, not excited about the situation.

My first course of action was to find Archer, that was obvious. Even though Tohsaka was no longer an ally, Archer himself still seemed to consider me one. Or at the very least I was useful to him. Last night had proven I couldn't handle this war with only myself to rely on.

That didn't mean I liked Archer. The servant rubbed me the wrong way. Every time I looked at him I felt annoyed for whatever reason. It would be hard to accept him because of that, but at this point I really didn't have a choice.

My first priority was stopping Illya, While Zouken was the larger threat to the world at large, Illya had proven she was out of control. I wasn't sure if I was prepared to kill her or not, but she had to stopped as quickly as possible.

I rolled out of bed.

I didn't know how to get into contact with Archer, and I doubted Tohsaka would be thrilled to see me. Walking around town like last night did not seem like a good idea either. Illya had managed to track him down last night, somehow, she could probably do the same tonight as well.

On further thought, it was weird the way she had known he was going to be taking the bridge home. I could only chalk it up to some mystery of magic though.

I paused. If she did use some kind of magic to track and predict his movements there was nothing saying that she couldn't do the same to find out his current location.

Damn it. Why hadn't he thought about this before? Dad would know how to subvert the magic of other masters and hide his location. But I have no knowledge of such techniques, and even if I did I likely had no potential in executing them.

The only thing I had protecting me was the bounded field, now that the residence was destroyed the place no longer held any sanctuary. Not that the place was airtight to begin with, it had been destroyed after all.

I would have to wait until Archer contacted me. And no matter what I had to keep moving. Those were the two available actions at the moment.

I had no idea how archer would find me, but I was certain now that there were ways now.

I left the hotel.

* * *

The salty night aired caressed my skin. The coolness was a stark, but welcoming, contrast the hot anxiety that was boiling within me.

I had stolen a boat from the local shipyard. I didn't have the money to rent one and again I silently hoped my moral compass survived this.

The idea was that since Berserker couldn't swim, then I should be safe out in the water during the night. I sincerely hoped that this logic was the truth. I didn't know how useful it would be against the other servants, notably Assassin and maybe Rider if she was still around, but least it had the potential to buy me some time away from the murderous duo.

I couldn't stay here forever though. During the day I had to do recon while the others hid. Night was no longer safe as I was now, but progress had to be made regardless.

I had no idea how my father had not only survived the last war, but won. His techniques and preparations were currently beyond my grasp. He must have been more amazing than I thought.

I tried to remember anything about my father in search of any hint or tell that would reveal a solution to my current situation, but nothing came to mind. The man that was my father, I hardly knew him at all.

"Its a nice boat I suppose."

My spine stiffened, but I recognize the voice. "Archer?"

"I am impressed that you held back from screaming. I expected a more violent reaction from you."

"Yeah, well, call me jaded." I sighed. Already my plans weren't working If I was found by a servant so quickly. "What are you doing here, Archer? How did you find me?"

"Ah yes, well Rin told me to follow you. She seems to think you are a threat."

"Follow me?" I paused. "Why not kill me? If she thinks I am in her way than she has no reason not to end my life."

"I don't know how my master thinks, Emiya. Even less so after her actions in regards to Matou Sakura. She has quickly become colder and more calculating. If I haven't been ordered to kill you then it is likely she still has some business with you in the near future. I can see no other answer."

I nodded, slightly relieved at that. As long as Tohsaka wasn't trying to kill then that meant one less active enemy to worry about. "So, what do you plan to do now that you revealed yourself to me?"

"I plan on giving you advice. Our meeting was cut short last time, I didn't get to say everything I wanted. About your abilities."

"So, what is there to say? What kind of advice will help me out at this point? It must be good if you think it will allow me to destroy the grail."

"It will allow you to do that and more, Emiya Shirou."

"Really, cause I can't seem to project anything worth a damn right now. Everything I make keeps breaking."

"That is because you haven't realized what your power really is. You haven't realized the reality."

The reality? "Archer, if you have something to say, say it. I don't appreciate you beating around the bush like this. Its annoying."

The red clad servant laughed. Then he dropped the bomb."Very well, Emiya. Your specialty is swords. You can project anything that you perceive as a 'sword' with close to perfect results. They will never be as good as the original, but that doesn't matter when you can rapid fire them into your enemies. Though you are a long way off from pulling such feats."

"Archer, how do you know all of this?" It was really weird how he was so confident. "This knowledge has to be specific. You know more than you're letting on, you are hiding something from me."

"Well, you are not ready to know some things. Maybe when I see how you develop. Now that you understand your power a bit more, you should have access to more stable projections."

"But if it is about knowledge then wouldn't telling me everything right now help me out immensely? I mean why would you hide things from me when it is so obviously detrimental?"

"Learning things from me has some... side effects. Consider it a condition of my summoning." He paused thoughtfully. "It seems my master is calling me back. I am afraid that I must leave you to your own devices. We will meet up again at some point."

"What do I do in the meantime? I can't just sit here and hide forever."

"Just practice you projection is suppose. You are still useless after all." The servant was mocking him. "Beyond that I don't have any other advice."

And the servant disappeared and I was left on the ship alone.


	3. Chapter 3

The morning came with a quickness I didn't expect. I had nothing to do except train, I got so caught up in it.

Archer had been correct. Now that I had some concrete direction to go in, progress with my magic had improved greatly. The twin blade became closer and closer to the version Archer wielded.

It was a relief to know that I wasn't completely defenseless. I could access the special power of the twin blades now that I could project them properly. Not to mention the added advantage of being able to absorb the fighting style that was in the weapons history.

For the moment prospects were higher than they had been in the last couple of days.

Though there was still the problem of how Archer _knew _exactly what the nature of my projections are. The only thing I could come up with was that Archer had some hidden ability that allowed him to see ones origin.

I am not stupid. Archer was suspicious as hell. His knowledge, his identity, his goals- they are all a mystery to me. Even if I could trust him it still left the glaring issue that I doubted would be solved easily.

Tohsaka would not be easy to convince. The girl was stubborn and smart. She would catch on eventually. If there was a chance of a peaceful conclusion to the war, she would be one to support it. Maybe.

The fake priest had said that Tohsaka would go insane now that she had killed Sakura. While Archer had indeed confirmed a change in her personality, I doubted that she would actually lose her mind. Kotomine wasn't exactly the most trust worthy of holy men.

Besides, Tohsaka, for whatever reasons, still wanted me alive. That was enough to prove that she was still in control. At least for the time being.

Archer had recommended I train until he contacts me. Who knew how long that would be though. I also couldn't let the war continue on without interference.

I decided that going into town would be best. I needed to gather my bearings on the situation at large, a lot could have change during the night I was gone, and I still had to had to visit Raiga so he wouldn't get the wrong idea about Taiga's death. I wasn't too sure he would be happy to see me. If he only knew even a little it was that the death of his granddaughter was related to my actions. The old man was sharp as a tack and I doubt I could keep many secrets when faced with him.

So I beached the boat and left for town.

The Fujimaru compound wasn't far off from the beach, so it didn't take long to get there.

When I arrived the maid had led me to a guest room and I was told to wait for the master of the house. I was provided with refreshments and granted permission to watch the television. I wanted to avoid T.V. for the time being, but getting information about the status about the city imperative at the moment.

I flipped it on and turned it to the local news station. I didn't have to wait long.

"_-And the two destroyed building are being attributed to an explosion caused by a faulty gas line, officials say." A _fight? "_Of course that doesn't explain the literally hundreds of small holes in the ground and concrete or why nobody heard any of this happening at all. Some question if this incident is connected to the mysterious disappearances and murders that have been plaguing this city in recent days. More on this at nine."_

I clicked it off.

Seems the war had continued without me during the night. At least there didn't seem to be any causalities this time. I couldn't tell who had fought, but it must have been a pretty big deal if whole buildings were destroyed. It was way beyond my level, that was for sure.

Minutes ticked by. Then the door to the room slid open and an old man carrying a bag came in. He quietly moved to a position across from me and sat cross legged on the floor with the bag beside him.

He took out his pipe and lit the tobacco inside.

I bowed. "I'm so sorry. Fuji-nee... her death, there were things done in the past by me and dad, I can't tell you, but that's why, she..."

"Shirou." The old man interrupted, taking a puff. "I know about the war." Huh? "I've known about it since more than a decade ago. Kiritsugu told me when he was dying. He wanted someone to know about his legacy so you could be told eventually. Seems I withheld the knowledge for too long."

That surprised me, but still... "Then you know she was only in danger because of her connection to father and I. Why aren't you more angry?"

"Taiga wouldn't see it like that. I don't know what happened, but she wouldn't blame you for her death. She loved you, Shirou. She wouldn't want you to take responsibility for such a thing."

"She would still be alive if I hadn't..."

"Stop, Shirou. We can't change the past, we can only look towards the future and hope for the best. I will never recover from the pain of losing my granddaughter, but at least I still have her memory. It may not be much, but she will never be truly dead..." The man smiled. "And I believe in an afterlife. Me and Taiga will meet again, someday. I can wait until then."

"That doesn't change the fact that her death could have been avoided if I had made different decisions.

She could still be alive if I had done something differently."

"There are many deaths that could have been changed if different decisions were made. But they weren't and that is okay. The world doesn't stop as we age and it doesn't bend to our whims. We can only do what we can and we can't do what is impossible."

I wasn't going to argue. "I still miss her..."

"As do I, Shirou."

The room lapsed into silence. Until...

"The police are looking for you." The old man said. "They are worried that you are dead too. I was the same until you showed up. Mind telling me what happened?"

"A master killed Fuji-nee so that she could break me. She wanted to get back at Kiritsugu for something that happened in the past. We were on good terms for a while, but something happened and now she want to kill me again." I paused, remembering my decision. Sakura..."She thinks I am a certain way now. She wasn't exactly sane to begin with, but now she has a real reason to despise me."

"I see, well what's done is done. We can't change the past." The old man paused thoughtfully. "I trust you, Shirou. You will do what you think is right. I won't blame you for you decisions. No matter what, you always have my support."

"Thanks." I said, not feeling any less guilt over the situation. "But this is something that you can't really help me with. This war... its beyond the level of normal human capabilities."

"That may be true, but I can still try. Your father didn't tell me much, but I don't think I am completely useless. The least I can do is provide what I can. Its not much, but your dad did leave behind some things." The old man pushed the bag towards me. "He probably didn't think you would need these, but take good care of them.

"Thank you." What would dad leave me? "I will do my best." I stood up and threw the bag over my shoulder. "I think it is time for me to go now." I bowed."Thank you speaking with me, sir. Again, I am sorry."

"No Shirou, it is I who am sorry. I couldn't help you or Taiga. That is my failing as well. I hope you can do better than me in the future." The older male stood and put his hands on my shoulders. "Shirou, I am counting on to make sure Taiga's death wasn't in vain. Please stop whoever did this."

I nodded. "I will." I felt oddly determined. "Things are going to happen, many things, but you can bet Fuji-nee's death won't be forgotten. I loved her, I can't allow this to go unresolved."

The old man seemed satisfied. "I see, well then this is goodbye. If you ever need my assistance, I will be waiting."

"I know that now. Thank you and goodbye."

"Goodbye, Shirou."

And I left.

AN: If you see any mistakes please inform me. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy the story.


	4. Chapter 4

The boat rocked back and forth as I examined the contents of the bag.

The bag contained a gun, ten bullets, a pair of high tech binoculars, and some fucking C4 explosives. Jesus Christ, what the hell was dad into? I hadn't known he possessed this, quite illegal, equipment. What the fuck was my father, a terrorist? Former military? A goddamn assassin?

I didn't know. This only amplified the mystery I felt for my father. I truly didn't know the man at all, it seems. But you know, father, this is pretty dangerous equipment to be keeping in just some bag at the Fujimaru compound. This shit should have been stored properly, not just handed off like a pair of old clothes. I wonder if Raiga even knew what he had been asked to take care of? The old man hadn't carried the bag as if contained explosives.

I analyzed the gun first. It was normal except for a few specialized magical adjustment that allowed for improve power and the ability to channel prana. It had a deep connection with my father though, it seems this was one of his favorite weapons.

When I analyzed the bullets I almost threw them overboard. The bullets had my dads soul in them. I couldn't tell what they would do to the target that was hit with them, but I could see that they were extremely dangerous.

Binding and severing... I shuddered at the thought. What kind of weapon had father left behind? This was just... horrifying. What had my dad been thinking creating something so... gross?

Well, at this point I had no choice but to use the bullets. Even though ten might seem like very little, their usefulness overcame their the lack of numbers. The destructive power they posses far outweighed anything else I had in my arsenal.

The only problem was that I didn't know how to use them. Under what circumstances would the bullets be the most effective? Could they be used against servants? I somehow doubted they would be able to damage someone like Berserker or even Rider. If they would even hit at all.

But against Zouken... these bullets would destroy him. They were that effective. Especially in my hands.

Now, I am not claiming to be an expert marksman or anything like that. However my skills with a bow were pretty sharp, so I wasn't completely incapable of handling projectile weapons. I just hope my alignment to the bow translated well enough into guns.

I thought about maybe getting some practice, but the bullets I had weren't exactly expendable. I really didn't have the option of purchasing some myself, obviosly. I would have to hope my aim was good enough, despite never have even held a gun before this day.

Now, what to do with the explosives? I didn't know how to handle such dangerous equipment, much less how to utilize it to maximize its effectiveness. Maybe I should strap it to Berserker and detonate it?

I shook my head. No, normal weapons couldn't kill servants. And while the C4 held great destructive power, I still think it counted as 'normal'. I couldn't count on that being a viable weapon. Though, I could blow up Zouken. That would be nice.

At any rate, there wasn't much I could do to utilize the equipment at the moment. I would just have to wait and see what came up.

* * *

Night came and went. The next day I decided to go into town and get some much needed supplies and hopefully do some light recon. The last couple of days had been kind of slow in the development department so it was my hope that today yielded better results.

I didn't have any money left by the time I was done shopping, but at this point that wasn't really a problem as I realized I could project some coins at anytime. At the very least I promised to pay them back once I found myself in a more favorable condition.

I dropped the items off at the boat before going back into the town. I was hoping that I might run into Archer or even Tohsaka herself. It would be nice to find out what her plans were. Archer did say that she still had business with me. Maybe we could plan around each other and start to get the ball rolling again. Something sure needed to happen.

Oh well, every time I went into town something occurred, it seemed. Lately that meant tragedy and life threatening situations. Lets just hope I can catch a break and not get killed.

Camping out along Tohsaka's known route seemed like a good enough plan. Luckily, I knew just the place that would allow me relax and just watch people without looking suspicious.

So I made way to the city square, which also serve as neutral ground since it was the most densely populated area of the city during the daytime hours. After all, no one would attack me out in the open with people around like this, right?

Sounds like a plan to me.

I waited on the bench by the fountain for several hours. As I watched crowds of people come and go, their smiling faces unawares of the true dangers of the world, I felt a certain guilt build up in my chest. After all, these people were practically being used as a shield by myself in order to insure no other masters would attack.

If that plan failed I would have no way of protecting the innocents that were put in danger by my presence. At the very least I could hope that the surrounding people had enough sense of self preservation to run away.

I searched crowd after crowd for the raven haired girl, hoping to all that was holy that she would show up at some point during the day.

As it got later and the foot traffic started to thin, I figured it was almost time to give up for the day. A few more minutes and I wouldn't be able to make it back to the boat by nightfall.

I got ready to leave.

"Shirou Emiya." A voice I recognized as Rider, said.

"Trace on." I whirled around and, forgetting the people around me, projected kanshou in my hand. Before I could even swing down something pierced my left shoulder and the blade fell to the ground. "Gughh!" I jumped backwards to gain some distance. A chain was connected to my body. I could feel the metal inside me grinding against the bones in my shoulder. "Rider, I guess you did get a new master. I'll bet you love being Zouken's lapdog." I grabbed the nail in my shoulder and gave it a sharp tug, pulling it free. I was getting used to pain.

She didn't respond as she pulled the nail back into her hands.

"Trace on." I projected Kanshou into my right hand.

"What the hell?"

"That was awesome!"

"Is this some kind of play?"

"Is she a pervert?"

That's when I remembered. There were people surrounding us. Now there were people watching us.

"Rider, we can't do this here." What was she doing attacking with all of these people around?

"No, I can not wait. Without a master my time is limited." She readied her weapon again. I took a few steps back..

"You don't have a master? Why haven't you disappeared?" That also meant she had less prana at her disposal. Maybe I had a chance?

She ignored my question as she closed the distance. I barely brought my blade up in defense before she struck. The two blade crashed and I stumbled backwards, almost falling to the ground.

Before I could recover she was already on top of me again. Her next swing put me off balance even more, when the blades met. I went with the backward momentum and as I fell I threw the blade in my right hand at her before twisting around and using my now free hand to right myself.

I pushed off the ground in a mad dash in the opposite direction, not even bothering to confirm if my attack had worked. It hadn't, I was sure. And I couldn't waste the precious time it might have bought me.

The crowds eyes followed me as I cowardly fled from my opponent. I must look like the perfect hero.

Suddenly my instincts screamed at me and I dived to the left as the nail came flying by. I hit the ground in a roll, inadvertently knocking my injured shoulder against the ground. I flinched from the pain, but without stopping I jumped to my feet and turned in the direction I knew should would come from. She was no where to be seen. She wasn't left or right... which means...

"Trace on." I brought the black blade up just as she came at me from above. Once again our blades met and I buckled under her strength. Even with the difference in blade size and weight, I was still at a disadvantage.

She flipped backwards into the air and threw the nail-like dagger at me. I knocked it aside as I reared back and threw my own blade at her. She twisted mid air to avoid it and by the time she landed on the ground I already had a new sword in my hand and was on the run again.

I only got a few steps in before I could feel her presence behind me. So I ducked and twisted my body, swinging my sword in a horizontal strike. She jumped over my attack and threw her blade directly at my head, going for the kill. I was in no position to fully dodge, so I bent my neck at an angle. The blade cut through my cheek and sailed past me, ricocheting off the ground. I ran forward directly under her and turned to her and threw the sword as she hit the ground. She back flipped over the weapon, twisted mid air and threw her dagger at me _again._

I leaned backwards as far as I could, as quickly as I could, without falling. The nail-like dagger flew right above me. By the time I righted myself she was landing a kick straight into my abdomen. The force sent me flying backwards and I hit the ground in a very ungraceful roll before coming to a stop face down.

I took status of the damage. Three broken ribs, a concussion, a broken leg, and, of course, my other arm was broken. Status; completely fucked. Options; none.

I lifted my head and looked around. By now there were quite a few people watching us, but they seemed to have the good sense to keep their distance. Even normal humans knew something dangerous was going on.

I could feel Riders presence beside me, just out of view.

"Why did you allow Matou Sakura to die?" She asked, monotone. "Did you not task yourself with the obligation of protecting her?" I tried to crane my neck around to the direction of her voice without success.

"She was going to die any w ay, along with a lot of people who are uninvolved." I coughed up a little blood onto the pavement. "Its not like I'm happy about it, but at least this way she wouldn't be the death of other innocents." Come on, step into view. I at least want to see the way that I die.

"Regardless, you allowed her to die even though she too was innocent." She was close, just have to twist a little bit."You could have tried, there might have been a way if you weren't to scared to look."

"Why does it matter to you, Rider? You have only been here for a short time, I've known her much longer. How do you think her death make me feel?" I forced my body to twist a little more. Why wasn't I seeing her? "If I had thought there was a way, I would have done it." Where was she? "Its not like I wanted this to happen, but you are right, I do deserve to die." I used every last ounce of strength in my body to flip myself over onto my back, just so I could see _her._ "I wanted to save her, I didn't want anyone to..." The words died in my throat. She wasn't there.

"My only regret is that I didn't kill you, Emiya Shirou." And suddenly the presence was gone.

Silence.

"Rider." I called out weakly. I waited for an answer that never came."What the hell...?"

It was then that I realized, with my fading conciseness, that Rider had faded away. That last attack must have been as far as she could go. She hadn't had a master for several days, it was likely whatever kept her in this world had lost its power.

With that thought I fell into unconsciousness.


End file.
